Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study: Abortion Limitations Linked To Rise In Intimate Partner Homicides
A new study published by scientists at Tulane University in Louisiana found that pregnant women in anti-abortion states face an increased likelihood of experiencing intimate partner homicide.聽Since the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, which provided Americans with the constitutional right to access abortion care, more states have enacted TRAP laws, which stands for targeted regulation of abortion providers. According to Guttmacher Institute, 23 states in the U.S. have laws or policies that regulate abortion providers. In the study, published in the peer-reviewed health care journal Health Affairs, researchers looked at data from 2014 to 2020 to observe the connection between anti-abortion laws and intimate partner violence before Dobbs. (Karlis, 5/8)
In other news on abortion and birth control 鈥
A wide-ranging women鈥檚 health care bill that stalled in the House for months over concerns about expanding coverage for birth control is a step away from the governor鈥檚 desk 鈥 though dysfunction in the Senate could derail its chances of becoming law. (Spoerre, 5/8)
The 24-hour waiting period for abortions in Ohio should stand regardless of November's vote adding abortion rights to the Ohio Constitution, says Gov. Mike DeWine. "Those guardrails are still in effect. They worked well before. So I don't see any reason to change them," the governor told 6 On Your Side after an hour-long question-and-answer session Wednesday with the Columbus Metropolitan Club. (5/7)
A group of Democratic attorneys general are working to strengthen state-level protections for abortion, contraception and gender-affirming care. These protections could include expanding the use of so-called 鈥渟hield laws,鈥澛爓hich assert that states where abortion or gender-affirming care are legal won鈥檛 cooperate with out-of-state efforts to prosecute anyone who helped provide treatment.聽(Luthra, 5/8)
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff urged more men to advocate for abortion rights on Tuesday, saying the key 2024 election issue is about more than just women, but families and all Americans. 鈥淭his is an issue of fairness to women. Women are dying,鈥 Emhoff told NBC鈥檚 Yamiche Alcindor. 鈥淚t鈥檚 affecting [men鈥檚] ability to plan their lives. And it鈥檚 also an issue of what鈥檚 next, what other freedoms are at risk. And these freedoms are affecting all Americans, not just women.鈥 (Robertson, 5/8)
麻豆女优 Health News: Medical Residents Are Increasingly Avoiding States With Abortion Restrictions聽
Isabella Rosario Blum was wrapping up medical school and considering residency programs to become a family practice physician when she got some frank advice: If she wanted to be trained to provide abortions, she shouldn鈥檛 stay in Arizona. Blum turned to programs mostly in states where abortion access 鈥 and, by extension, abortion training 鈥 is likely to remain protected, like California, Colorado, and New Mexico. Arizona has enacted a law banning most abortions after 15 weeks. 鈥淚 would really like to have all the training possible,鈥 she said, 鈥渟o of course that would have still been a limitation.鈥 (Rovner and Pradhan, 5/9)
On fertility treatments 鈥
The VA pays for IVF treatment for unmarried and LGBTQ veterans. But they must prove their fertility problems are service-related. (D'lorio, 5/8)